Planes: Take Swiss International Air Lines, which is usually called Swiss, to Europe. When visiting a foreign country, it’s always a good idea to fly its national airline. But even skiers headed for the French or Italian Alps benefit from Swiss’s many flights to Geneva. Compared to their U.S. counterparts, European airlines are also much friendlier and more libertarian. If you’re like me, you’ll drink many glasses of complimentary wine while enjoying the negligible censorship of Anne Hathaway’s racier films.

Trains: My personal motto is, “If you can’t have fun in a rental car, you’re already dead.” Yet Switzerland is the only nation where I don’t rent autos. Yes, Switzerland has incredibly fun mountain roads to motor. But gas is expensive there and the train-based transport system is unparalleled. Swiss trains reach most alpine destinations, and where trains don’t go, your Swiss Pass lets you transfer to a bus—or a boat!—that will.